Lighting Question.

Waipukurau Press, Volume I, 27 July 1906, Page 2

Lighting Question.

Th® 20th Century Oas -

Mr W- L. Yates, representative of *;the' Napier Plumbing Co., who; are thesele agents in Hawke’s Bay for the 20th Century Gas Co., paid Waipukurau a visit on Wednesday last, for the purpose of making arrangements for a display of his. itluminant in this town. Mr Yates completed plans so. that a demonstration of his light will be givenin the Town Hall, commencing on Monday night and continuing until Friday. Mr Yates, in the course of an interview, says his company are making overtures to the Town Board to instal the petrol light in> the district, and presented a number of facts and arguments in; support of the light he represents. The 20th Century Gas light, it ie stated, is practically a new discovery, and is claimed to fill a long felt want in the matter of lighting of cities, small communities and private houses, at a lower cost than any known gas. The light proi duced is of a soft, pure white colour and of great brilliancy. The gas is non-poisonous and perfectly clean, and makes a splendid heating or cooking gas. It requires no skilled labour to run the and therefore is especially suitable ~ in small townships where the revenue is limited. Some of the ; other special points claimed for this : light by Mr Yates are: That it can be carried any distance by pipes that the apparatus is of a durableand lasting character, the mantles and burners being the; only parts, that would require to be renewed and unlike the ordinary coal gas, it is of a non-explosive character. The-propesals of this Company are that the Town Board supply and erect their lamps, the Company undertaking to supply gasfor the same at the rate of £4 pcs* annum. The Company also supplylamps at £2O each, in cofiopanskii'' to £35 as proposed by > i Board. In the -event of ! .lhe -toWn - putting in the light poses, it was stated that" d or £2OOO plant would seiyq^ifie," whole of the. town, while gas would ‘ be supplied at. the rate of IQs peir 1000 ft, with a discount of account be paid by ,19th of jheI month? : Meters, and* pipes would! ’’ be sup pl ied at the same rates as- ? Napier. ... , MrYates states that Grey town, a borough'- ini 'the Wpira y. taiiyng about 1200 inhabitants, had adopted the system,'and td Ideal paper ‘-tW■ light 5 Jbiid given every satisfactory.. : Tara dale,. *-■ a smaller toUn Than-‘Waipukurau^-.-has now decided' to instal the light,''‘ and the Naipier-PlUmbing Cot ; are now busily engagejJ- fulfilling the - contract./ /

KrMlhanibers in < In reference to the lighting, and so that a issjuejj i may be placed before public, a . representative of the upon Mr Chambers, o£ the Town Board, and sought'hisviews with regard to the niovdfiient of the 20th Century Gas Co-. instal lighting into the district. Mr Chambers said there was a good deal of misrepresentation with regard to his action in the matter. It had been freely circulated that he had attempted to suppress correspondence received from the Napier Plumbing Co*, but such- / was not the case. The first intimation that the 20th Century Gas Co. had any proposals to make waa. i -st on the 14th of this month, when .the offer was made with regard toil? if'the installation of the petrol light. : "h This called for nd reply, as the representative of the Company arrived here just about the same time as . the letter' and was then • treated with. To show that there has been ' < no suppression of correspondence “ - and tbat-this charge does not- enimate from the Gas Co., Mr Cham- • bers stated that a letter had been received from them thanking him for what he had done for the Co. in allowing a demonstration ' in. Waipukurau. The position in which the ratepayers are placed through the/late,--ness of the time the Century Gaa Co. have entered the field,- was • commented upon by the chairman. -- All the necessary procedure had been gone through ahd the ratepayers’ meeting have unanimously decided that the Kitson light be installed; and after this very ’ mature —consideration, various, schemes being submitted to the Town Board before a final decision- ? was arrived at, Mr' Chambers said ' - he was still that-the. Kitson light was a long way?-the<>' best light of the two, and compari-f sons were made of the light'*; 'By the proposal of the 20th Century ' Gas Co. ten lamps would be main- ’ < tain&d of 50-candle-power at a cost of £4 per fomp- per annum, whiles according to the proposals of the Tqwn Board six lamps would be" greeted of each, at an up-keep of £7 12/-. iChad •- statecLfreely about the town thst the annual up-keep of the C

lamps would be £66 per annum, or £ll per lamp, but in this was included interest and sinking fund. The cost is divided up as follows: —Maintenance, £18; Kerosene, for 216 nights, £2l 12/-; Sundries, £5; Total, £l5 12/-. dr Chambers said in making his estimate a considerable margin was allowed, so that the public can feel quite certain that the estimate is well within the mark. He (Mr Chambers) said he only had the welfare of the town at heart. It had freely been reported that he would get something out of the institution, but this was entirely without foundation. He merely wanted to see the place advance and come up-to-date, and hoped that the ratepayers would not be misguided and thereby defeat a forward movement.